Muscle Building Calorie Calculator
Grams of fat are as important as the calories?
I have 20 years of age. I'm 5'5 "and weighs 114 pounds. (NOTE: Please do not leave a comment saying that I am underweight. Using a BMI calculator you will find that I am well within healthy limits). That said, I'm trying to lose weight. But I'm trying to build muscle. My personal trainer told me to keep my calorie intake to 1,400 per day. When asked about grams of fat, he said it does not matter much. Is this true or is just his opinion? I have heard from many places grams of fat that is really all that matter. What is the truth of all this?
I think maybe he was just in communicating their thoughts. What I think he was getting less was not to worry much about where your calories come from, just to make sure that you saved in 1400. I do not know if I agree with your reasoning though. Fat is more calorie dense part of food. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories. Some fats and fatty acids are really good for our bodies (think monounsaturated fats, and fats polysaturated omega 3 and 6 fatty acids), while others, such as Trans fats and saturated fats are horrible for our hearts and health. So, I definitely not say "do not worry about it and just eat what you want, as long as you stay in 1400." If you eat 1,400 calories worth of Oreo cookies for instance, that is definitely not as healthy as 1,400 calories worth of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, skim milk, etc. etc. The point is, if you're trying stick with a calorie intake to make sure that is perfectly fine. But do not neglect their power to do so. Try keeping a food diary so you not overshoot their intake, but at the same time not neglecting certain food groups. You want a healthy and balanced diet to ensure your body is getting all the proper vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs to function properly. In terms of fat, definitely limit the amount of fat trans and saturated fat you get every day, and as a general rule (if you have time to calculate it), try to keep fats and about 30% of their intake calories. I hope this helps clarify things!
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